Having achieved financial freedom, I reorganized my workplace.

About fifteen minutes later, the judges came out of the main door one by one and went up to the award stage. They were still expressionless, but their expressions were much more solemn than before, unlike their previous nonchalant demeanor.

Fu Jiahao walked out with the re-evaluated list of winners in his hand, forcing himself to remain calm. He had a stiff smile on his face, and his voice was dry but deliberately raised, trying to cover up his earlier embarrassment.

"Thank you for your patience. After a rigorous review by the judging panel, the final award results are now announced. The list of winners is as follows: First Prize: Suixian Company [Simple Water Purifier]..."

"boom!"

As soon as Fu Jiahao finished speaking, the entire audience erupted once again.

The applause was even louder than when Zeng Huihuang gave his speech. Cheers mingled with applause, and someone in the front row suddenly stood up and clapped at Lin Chen. People in the back row also stood up and surrounded Lin Chen and Chen Ya, clapping their hands.

This wasn't a plant hired by Lin Chen; it was just these small fry celebrating their perceived victory. Yes, they were too easily satisfied, so easily satisfied that they didn't care about their own project just because Lin Chen's project won first prize.

Chen Ya even jumped up, tears still wet on her face, laughing and crying at the same time, throwing herself into Lin Chen's arms, her voice choked but clear: "Lin Chen, you did it, first prize, it really is first prize."

Her eyes were filled with joy, and her gaze towards Lin Chen was burning with admiration and excitement. Her cheeks were flushed, like freshly boiled eggs. If there weren't so many people around, she would have wanted to throw herself into his arms and let him do whatever he wanted to her.

Lin Chen felt little excitement or joy, because winning or not winning was unimportant to him; he simply wanted fairness and to satisfy Chen Ya.

He slightly raised his eyes and looked at Zeng Huihuang, who was sitting upright on the podium. Zeng Huihuang's smile was still kind, but Lin Chen was too sensitive. He always felt that there was a deep and unfathomable meaning hidden in Zeng Huihuang's eyes.

Others might have been misled by Lin Chen's first prize and no one paid attention to the other winners, but Lin Chen noticed that the three projects that had once been so successful were still prominently featured on the winners list.

Some things seem to have changed, but in reality, they haven't.

You yelled and screamed, and they only got a little soup. Those children who didn't cry or scream were still ignored. That's how realistic and cruel it is.

Lin Chen wanted to shout again, but the awards ceremony had already begun, and dignified and harmonious hymns were playing in the room. Chen Ya was about to start dancing, so he gave up.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Lin Chen and Chen Ya slowly walked onto the stage and stood in the center. Under the spotlight, the handsome man and beautiful woman looked perfectly matched.

As luck would have it, Zeng Huihuang personally presented them with the awards. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he ignored Lin Chen and held Chen Ya's hand tightly for a long time. Chen Ya was so excited that she kept bowing and nodding, and almost knelt down before him.

On the way back, Chen Ya hugged the certificate tightly to her chest, rubbing it repeatedly. The way her fingertips brushed the paper was full of tenderness. This award was too incredible for her; it was a surprise she dared not hope for even if she tried her best. After rubbing it enough, she handed the certificate to Lin Chen, her eyes filled with soft earnestness: "Lin Chen, you can keep the certificate."

Lin Chen glanced at the certificate and said indifferently, "No need, you can keep it. You contributed the most to this project." He was the one who came up with the idea, but all the material preparation and detail polishing were done by Chen Ya, who stayed up countless nights to carry it all.

Chen Ya's voice choked up again: "If you hadn't stood up and argued for what was right today, we definitely wouldn't have won this award. I know you've sacrificed so much; you've been betting your entire career on this."

Lin Chen's expression remained unchanged, perfectly calm: "It doesn't matter."

Lin Chen is not in his twenties. Although he is still controlled by his emotions when he does things, he still thinks things through. Xinhai Group is a reputable company and cannot fire someone arbitrarily unless they have committed a serious offense.

Lin Chen was in the right today, but he simply didn't give his superiors face.

Of course, even if a leader doesn't fire you, there are countless ways to mess with a person: ignore you, exclude you, give you the lowest performance rating, or even transfer you to a water plant in the middle of nowhere.

However, Lin Chen is not afraid of these punishments at this stage. As long as you have thick skin, you can get away with it. Moreover, Lin Chen also longs for places like water plants, where you don't have to deal with people, and you can sweep the floor, water the flowers, fish, and write novels every day.

They must be very happy.

Chen Ya sat next to him, staring intently at Lin Chen, looking at his calm profile and the indifference in his eyes. She believed she knew Lin Chen inside and out; he was handsome, persistent, and had a touch of romanticism.

But at this moment, the man was beside him, so close yet so far away.

She could touch it, yet she couldn't touch it anymore.

On the other side, Fu Jiahao had just walked out of the venue when he ran into Zeng Huihuang. He quickly greeted him, "President Zeng, this whole thing is my fault for not doing my job properly and making a blunder."

Zeng Huihuang's face was expressionless, he only hummed in response, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable authority: "From now on, you must be meticulous and thorough in your work, and you can't afford to make this kind of mistake again."

Fu Jiahao stood there stunned for a long time, then shook his head with a wry smile and walked away with light steps. There were too many meanings in those words, but it seemed that he would at least still be the head of the judging panel next year.

The next day, Lin Chen arrived at the office earlier than usual because he hadn't slept well. The outspoken Song Qiuyu immediately asked with concern, "How did it go? Did you manage to secure the innovation launch yesterday?"

Lin Chen nodded: "It's alright, so-so, I got first prize."

Hearing Lin Chen's words, Zhang Junmin, who was standing to the side, said with great disdain: "Lin Chen, stop bragging. I'm ashamed for you. It's a miracle that your project won any awards, let alone first prize."

Lin Chen: "Zhang Junmin, what will you do if we win first prize?"

Zhang Junmin: "If you win first prize in any of your projects, I'll call you 'Dad'."

Just then, Chen Ya returned, holding the award certificate for the innovation project in her hands. She kept showing it to everyone, smiling brightly: "Hehe, I did not fail you, I brought back a first prize."

Lin Chen laughed and said, "It's a pity your father didn't have an unfilial son like you."

Zhang Junmin's face immediately turned red, and he felt nauseous as if he had swallowed a fly. He got up dejectedly and quickly ran out to the toilet; he simply couldn't stand it.

Song Qiuyu chuckled.

As everyone was chatting and laughing, Tang Xin called, her voice urgent: "Lin Chen! Come to my office immediately."

As soon as she entered, Tang Xin frowned, her tone deliberately serious: "I heard you caused a scene at the city company's innovation launch yesterday, and even dared to challenge city leaders?"

Lin Chen pursed his lips, his tone nonchalant: "It was a commotion, but saying I insulted the boss is just a rumor."

Tang Xin also bit her lip, her tone cold yet tinged with concern: "Tell me what exactly happened. The listed company called earlier to reprimand us and demand an explanation."

Lin Chen briefly explained the whole story, then looked up at Tang Xin, his tone slightly questioning, "That's how it is. People from the city company are targeting me. Director Tang, do you think I should make a scene?"

Tang Xin rolled her eyes, her tone tinged with disappointment, but she wasn't really angry: "How come everyone else can tolerate it, but you can't? Everyone else can accept it, but you're the only one who's different. Shouldn't you reflect on yourself?"

Lin Chen stubbornly retorted, "Others may be willing to act subservient, but I can't."

Tang Xin sighed, her tone softening slightly, with a hint of helpless compromise: "Alright, go back and write a thousand-word self-criticism and hand it in, just to make a show of it, otherwise the city company won't be satisfied, and it won't do you any good in the long run."

Lin Chen refused without even thinking: "Whoever wants to write it can write it, I'm not writing it."

Tang Xin frowned, her tone urgent as she urged, "Lin Chen, don't act rashly. Apologize and let it go. Otherwise, they'll make things difficult for you later."

"An apology is impossible, absolutely impossible in this lifetime," Lin Chen said firmly, his eyes showing no fear.

Tang Xin also became anxious: "Why are you like this?"

Lin Chen didn't back down at all: "That's just how I am. If you don't like it, you can transfer me back to the institute. The person who made the mistake doesn't reflect on it and instead acts superior and bosses people around. Let him die."

After saying that, Lin Chen turned around and strode out without the slightest hesitation.

Tang Xin sat behind her desk, watching his back, her brows furrowed for a long time. Finally, she had no choice but to open a notebook and write a self-criticism.

Things took an unexpected turn.

Because the project won first prize at the city company's innovation conference, bringing glory to Suicheng Company, Song Jiehui seemed unaware of what Lin Chen had done at the city company, and directly gave him a great reward at the meeting.

But even if he knew, it wouldn't matter. As long as the result is good, the process is irrelevant to him.

After some research and discussion, the leaders unanimously agreed that such a good project should not be wasted, and that they should strike while the iron was hot and push the project to the provincial company for review.

Of course, it needs to be submitted to the provincial level for evaluation. This version still needs to be revised. Song Jiehui specifically instructed Tang Xin not to assign work to Lin Chen and Chen Ya, and to let them think it over again and improve the project.

What is this all about? It's never going to end. Lin Chen doesn't think this project will make much of a splash in the provincial government.

But now that things have developed to this point, it seems that this project is no longer just a matter between him and Chen Ya, but a project of the leaders. In the final version submitted to the provincial company, Song Jiehui's name was also added.

Surprisingly, this project emerged as a dark horse, overcoming all obstacles and ultimately winning the first prize for innovative projects in the provincial company.

During the judging process, Lin Chen didn't even go to the event to announce it. He himself was puzzled and didn't fully understand why he received this honor. When the news came, Chen Ya was so excited that she almost jumped up, and her tears almost overflowed.

Perhaps the higher the position, the more sunlight there is, and the thinner the shadows appear. Or perhaps the people in the province are just generous.

In fact, at Xinhai Company, many honors seem independent, but they are actually interconnected and even bundled together.

Just like Lin Chen winning the company's Person of the Year award and then being named an advanced individual in the provincial company, it's all quite natural, but some people think it's a shady deal.

In this project, the company first won first place in the city company and then topped the provincial company. These seemingly unrelated awards are actually linked by an invisible thread.

This is why some people with connections, once they receive a major honor, can often quickly accumulate all kinds of honors, achieving a kind of "grand slam," and then get promoted as fast as they can.

However, the vast majority of ordinary people simply don't have the opportunity to receive their first major honor.

On the night the award was announced, Director Song organized a dinner to celebrate. At the dinner table, Chen Ya and Lin Chen became the focus of attention, and were toasted by everyone. Chen Ya was happy and accepted all the toasts. Before long, she got drunk and was taken home by Tang Xin.

Lin Chen neither dislikes nor enjoys drinking. His principle when it comes to drinking is to avoid it if possible, and to drink as little as possible. Of course, he also never offers toasts.

When colleagues come to offer a toast, Lin Chen will discuss with them whether it can be changed to tea. If that's not possible, he'll say that everyone should just have a token toast, or drink half a cup and move on.

After returning home from the dinner party, Lin Chen saw that it was still early, so he turned on the bathtub and lay down on the balcony of the villa to soak in the bathtub to get rid of the smell of alcohol. The warm water enveloped his whole body, making him moan with comfort.

The villa's bathtub is located on the balcony, allowing him to look up and see the entire night sky. The villa's occupancy rate is not very high, so the night is exceptionally quiet. The moon is very round, like a disc, surrounded by countless stars, some visible and some not.

When Lin Chen was a child, his grandmother told him that everyone corresponds to a little star, and you have to find your own star. At that time, Lin Chen foolishly told himself that he must become the brightest and biggest star.

As Lin Chen grew up, every time he looked at the stars, he felt that his original thoughts were naive. Stars will always be stars, and as long as the moon is there, they will always be dim and without light.

So if you really want to improve, don't become a star, become the moon, or even the sun... But Lin Chen probably won't have that opportunity again in this lifetime.

While I was lost in thought, Tang Yuwei, who was far away in the provincial capital, sent me a video call invitation.

Lin Chen pulled a towel over his genitals before pressing the answer button.

On the other side of the screen, Tang Yuwei had just finished showering and was leaning against the headboard in a silk nightgown, her skin glowing faintly.

It had only been a month since they parted, but she seemed to have gained some weight, and her eyes and brows exuded an indescribable gentle charm. Seeing that Lin Chen had covered herself up completely, she covered her mouth and chuckled, "Class monitor, are you being too formal? Why are you covered up so much?"

Lin Chen was speechless: "Aren't you going to be so informal? Why don't you show me your clothes off?"

Tang Yuwei deliberately teased, "Okay, let's take our clothes off together, how about it?"

Lin Chen was too lazy to argue with her: "Get to the point, or I'm hanging up."

Tang Yuwei stuck out her tongue, a hint of playfulness in her voice: "I saw that your project with Sister Chen Ya won a major award in the province, so I came especially to congratulate you. Aren't I the most considerate person in the world?"

Lin Chen chuckled, "Yes, yes, you're the best. Is there anything else?"

"When are you coming to the province to visit me? I'll take you to eat all the delicious food here, all of which are local specialties you've never tried before." Tang Yuwei propped her head up with her hand, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"There will be opportunities in the future, just prepare the money and wait," Lin Chen said with a smile.

"It's a deal, I've been waiting!" Tang Yuwei's eyes crinkled with a smile she couldn't hide.

"I'm hanging up." Lin Chen raised his hand to press the hang-up button.

"Hey, wait a minute, move the towel away a bit~" Tang Yuwei shook her head coquettishly.

Lin Chen chuckled, muttered "crazy," and hung up the video call.

The moment the screen went dark, Tang Yuwei's smile hadn't faded. She nestled on the headboard, holding her phone, her eyes gradually glazing over, and a blush unconsciously crept onto her cheeks.

More than a month after returning to the province, Lin Chen's heavy breathing and strong heartbeat from that night of mountain climbing still lingered in her mind. She would often dream about that scene, and when she woke up, her heart would beat faster than usual, filled with shyness and excitement.

"Thump—" A slight sound came from the doorway. Tang Yuwei snapped back to reality and looked up to see a figure standing in the doorway. She was so startled that her hand trembled and she almost dropped her phone.

"Mom, what are you doing? You walk so quietly, you scared me." Tang Yuwei patted her chest when she saw that it was her mother, her tone slightly reproachful.

Tang's mother is very well-preserved. In her forties, she still has a slender figure, gentle eyes and a charming demeanor.

She gracefully entered the room, teasingly smiling, "It's not that Mom was silent, it's that you were completely lost in thought! What were you thinking about so intently just now?"

"N-nothing, I was just spacing out." Tang Yuwei's cheeks flushed instantly to the roots of her neck, her eyes darting away from her mother, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her pajamas.

Tang's mother, being an experienced woman, immediately saw through her daughter's predicament. She walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, gently patting the back of her hand, her tone tender and smiling: "My Yuwei, you've grown up now, and it's time for you to have your own secrets."

"Mom, what are you saying..." Tang Yuwei became even more flustered, her head lowered, her voice barely audible.

Seeing this, Tang's mother smiled even more gently, softened her tone, and patiently asked, "Tell your mother the truth, is there a boy you like?" This daughter has always been single, and she does hope that her daughter will fall in love.

"No, Mom, don't make wild guesses..." Tang Yuwei hurriedly denied it, but her reddened ear tips betrayed her thoughts.

Tang's mother: "Actually, at your age, it's time for you to start dating. If you like a boy, you must tell your mother. I will definitely not object to you, and I can even give you some advice."

"Mom, I really didn't," Tang Yuwei said coquettishly.

Tang's mother didn't expose her, but simply ruffled her hair, her tone full of tenderness: "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Come on, let's go out and get some sweet soup. I made your favorite papaya milk."

Tang's mother also realized that her daughter's only shortcoming was her breasts.

"I'm not eating anymore, Mom. I've only been back for a month, and I've already gained several pounds." Tang Yuwei raised her head, puffed out her chest, and pouted, looking charming and cute.

Tang's mother reached out and pinched her cheek, her tone a mix of reproach and heartache: "Still chubby? You're so skinny, you look like a little elf. I told you not to go to those rural places, but your father wouldn't listen, and you insisted on going to gain experience. You must have suffered a lot this past year, right?"

"I didn't suffer at all. I was doing very well over there. I was planning to stay for another year, but you insisted that I come back."

Tang Yuwei pouted, her tone carrying a hint of grievance.

No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Seeing her daughter like this, Tang's mother guessed that she had met a boy she liked over there. She wondered which boy was so lucky.